Balor

The Evil Eye

Gods do not hand out blessings to everyone, for their power is beyond mortal comprehension and cannot be wielded by many. It is a dangerous power, and in the hands of the wrong individuals, all forms of Holy Might have the power to destroy the world itself. Among these, a Balor is one of the most cherished and sought powers from the Gods: the eyes of Heaven itself.

Through Divine Eyes

One gets a Balor through a simple to describe yet difficult to pull-off ritual, with one act required. They must be bestowed with the blood of a God, placed directly into their eyes. Gods do not bleed easily, and their forms on Totania can only do so willingly. Therefore, a Balor cannot be gained without the consent of the God, or the infiltration of a Heavenly Realm.
Balors are blessings, and so they are viewed by some as blessed. Powers given by the Gods themselves, a sign of those holy figures, given to mortals.

Linfire by Jarhed

So, too, are Balors cursed in the eyes of the world. To get the blood of a God is not a ritual that many see as truly holy, instead seeing it as a vulgar appropriation of divine power. And to wield it in the body, changing ones natural features to carry holy might. The powers are often unnatural, and do not relate to the domains of the Gods they come from.
In that sense, the Balor is not truly Holy Might, as Holy Might is derived from the domains of the Gods. Balor is simply a divine power, and while it carries traces of Heaven, it does not counteract the powers of Hell, nor is it weak to Demons. However, Devils cannot wield Balor freely, as the holy power of a Balor is like a sickness that infects their body and weakens them until, finally, they die.

The Power of the Eye

A Balor has a great power in it. Each one is different, but grants a great, unmatchable power that is said to come from Heaven itself. Known Balor powers include:

• The ability to stop anyone or anything you see in place.


• The ability to set anything you see on fire.


• The ability to teleport yourself anywhere you can see.


• The ability to cause anyone you see to go insane as long as you are looking at them.


• The ability to explode anything you see.


• The ability to bestow benefits and buffs to anyone you see.


• The ability to know anything the person you are looking at knows.

These are all at the upper limits of all magical abilities, and it is said even the strongest mages can have difficulty facing beginner users of a Balor. Using a Balor's power can lead one to rivaling the strongest of mortals in Totania, but it can come with drawbacks.

Maya Zaman by Jarhed

Balor overuse can lead to fatigue, and the body stops functioning until it recharges. If one overuses it too much, they could even cripple themselves to the point that their body stops working entirely, and they cease being able to move. For this, those that wield Balors do what they can to limit its use.

Balor Coverings

Most people cover their Balor, and their reasons are numerous. The Balor works only when looking at someone, and so covering it can stop it from taking effect anytime the user looks at someone. If they were glasses or a monocle, this buffer also stops the balor from taking effect as easily.
The stigma around the evil eye can also cause some to cover it. They would rather not let people see it than suffer hatred for their blessings.
The coverings are often something that can be easily taken off in a pinch: glasses, eyepatches, or just pieces of cloth.

Balor Corruption

Another reason that the Balor is called the Evil Eye, and that one may cover over and around their blessed eye, is Balor Corruption. Wielding a Balor means that one has the blood of a God flowing in them, which is otherwise only the case for Demi Gods. Divine blood is not meant to be in a mortal shell, it is why many Demi Gods are unstable, and mortals cannot handle it. The power of the God begins overpowering their own bodies, and this can lead in many cases to Balor Corruption.
What this does is show the power of the Balor throughout the body. The divine light of the Balor leaks into the body, discoloring the skin and eventually consuming the body. No one has lived long enough with a Balor to see what happens if the corruption spreads to the entire body, but all theories conclude that it would mean doom for the wielder. Perhaps they die instantly, perhaps the God takes over their body like demonic possession, or perhaps they simply cease existing altogether. Perhaps they ascend to Heaven, perhaps they cannot be perceived by anything but a Balor, or perhaps they simply exist as they did before, just now they glow a bright, divine hue.

Regidagonus by Yumedatchi

Wielders of the Balor

The Balor is a rare power, but those that wield them often go on to make a name for themselves. Those known to have wielded Balors before include:

• Osmond- A Giant with one eye, the first to wield a Balor, given to him by the Nameless God.


• Maya Zaman- Chancellor of Ash at the Institute of Maya Zaman, was believed to have wielded a Balor of the Goddess of Knowledge, Sia, or the God of Transitions, Janus.


• Dundra the Wordy- An Orcish poet blessed with a Balor by the Goddess of Music and Poetry, Ninatta.


• Linfire- Head Priest of Amukk, wielded an eye of Amukk that allowed him to stop anyone he gazed upon with his eye from moving.

Some Gods refuse to give Balors. Mimir, God of Secrets, is believed to refuse when asked to give a Balor. Chernobog, God of Demons, is believed to have never given one, though others debate this, as the Demon Lord Regidagonus is only an eye and tentacles, and it is believed he may wield a Balor.
Janus has given the most Balors, as he is the only God with a mortal form that roams Totania, and thus he has the opportunity to bleed more often than others. This is not to say other Gods have not given out a Balor more than once, though few have given more than two.
It is said that Ninatta, Goddess of Music, Poetry, and Festivals, has granted her Balor to a few artists whose talent she trusts to use her eye. This is what has given the world the greatest view of the Balor, as the Orcish poet Dundra the Wordy wrote her famous poem "From Heaven's Balcony."

Dundra the Wordy by Jarhed

From Heaven's Balcony

By Dundra the Wordy

On Heaven's Balcony I sit,
My hand upon the railing,
My eyes on all the world at once,
I lean too far and look too deep.
A blessing from the Gods has gifted me with splendor,
More than I deserve,
More than mortal hearts can bear.


From Heaven's Balcony, I see it all,
The beauteous prosperity of Shafai's lush jungles,
The terrifying flames of Bang Kruthiwat,
The days I once held joy within my heart,
The empty hole that took its place.
I see the world in all its glory.
I see the world in all its horror.
I see the world and curse the Gods for blessing me.